


It'll be Fine

by musicals_musicals



Series: Bandstand Stuff [13]
Category: Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker & Taylor
Genre: Gen, Johnny Simpson deserves all the love in the world, i gave wayne's wife a name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 16:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15867606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicals_musicals/pseuds/musicals_musicals
Summary: When Wayne's kids need a last minute babysitter, Johnny jumps at the chance (So what if it's a bad back day, he can handle it)





	It'll be Fine

Johnny was laying on the floor when his phone started ringing. He did his best to roll closer to the phone without aggravating his back and reached up to knock it off the receiver. He caught it and held it against his ear “Hello?”

“Oh thank god, you’re home” It was Wayne’s ex-wife and she sounded a little panicked “I need to ask you a huge favor”

“What’s up” Johnny used the wall to push himself into a sitting position.

“Is there any chance you can babysit for an hour?” Margaret asks “I hate to ask on such short notice, but something just came up and Wayne is working”

Johnny considered the question. His back was feeling a little off, it didn’t actively hurt, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he turned the wrong way. On the other hand he loved Grady and Emily, and he knew for a fact that the next option for a babysitter was the old lady who lived next door, and who the kids both hated (She always smelled like wet cat, and her stories were as interesting as soap, according to the kids) “I’ll be right there”

“Thank you so much” Margaret exclaimed “I swear it’ll be an hour and a half at most”

“I’m on my way” Johnny pushed himself into a standing position and threw on his coat. What could go wrong?

—–

Johnny had been babysitting for an hour now and it was going pretty well. He had been able to get away with sitting on the floor for most of the time and Margaret had been in such a hurry she didn’t realize anything was wrong  _(“Thank you again. They already ate lunch and I’ll be home around four”)_  Right now Grady was braiding his hair while Emily told a story.

“We are learning how to add big numbers in school tomorrow” Emily was in first grade and was really liking her math class “The teacher said I’m really good at adding the stuff in my head. I think I’m almost as good as you”

Johnny laughed “I’m bet you are”

“Uncle Johnny why is your hair so long” Grady asked from where he was pulling at Johnny’s hair

“I don’t know” Johnny’s hair always looked shorter than it actually was because of how curly it was, so he rarely got it cut.

“I’m almost done with my braid” Grady added pulling on Johnny’s hair.

“Uncle Johnny!” Emily pulled at his sleeve

“What’s up Em” Johnny looked at Emily

“You need to hear the end of my story” Emily pouted

“I’m listening” Johnny promised “Go ahead”

Emily launched into a new story about a movie she recently saw, gesturing wildly with her arms.

“I’m done” Grady exclaimed a few minutes later “Do you want to see it?”

“Of course” Johnny agreed “Emily can I go with Grady to the bathroom? You can keep telling your story while we walk”

“Okay” Emily jumped to her feet and pulled on Johnny’s right hand “Let’s go!”

“I’m coming” Johnny stood up and Grady took his left hand so they could both lead him to the bathroom mirror.

“Doesn’t it look good” Grady asked as soon as they got to the bathroom

Johnny was actually pretty impressed with Grady’s braiding job “It looks fantastic”

“I knew it!” Grady jumped up and down in celebration.

“He’s super good because he always braids my hair” Emily explained. She shook her head to make her pigtails swing back and forth.

“Uncle Johnny can we do dress up?” Grady asked pulling on Johnny’s shirt

“Please” Emily joined in.

“Sure” Johnny followed them to their room and they threw open the toy chest. Their heads disappeared into box of clothes as the twins dug to the bottom of the chest.

Emily’s head popped up first “Uncle Johnny I found you a hat” She crawled up on the bed and set an old witch hat on his head “We can match!” She set the other witch hat on her own head with a smile.

“Ooh I found my pirate hat!” Grady jumped up and put the hat on his head backward.

“Grady that’s backwards” Emily pointed out.

“I’ll fix it bud” Johnny leaned over to turn the hat around so it was facing forward. It wasn’t until he was standing up that something in his back shifted.

There was the sound of a lock turning and Wayne’s voice “I’m here!”

“Put your hats away and go say hi to your dad” Johnny prompted. The twins took off the hats and ran out of the room. Johnny did his best to stand up without hurting himself and tossed the witches hat into the toy chest. “I’ll be fine” Johnny muttered to himself before going to find the kids.

“Johnny?” Wayne looked surprised to see him “What are you doing here?”

“Emily and Grady needed a babysitter” Johnny explained. He tried to stand normally so Wayne wouldn’t notice his back

Wayne looked like he was about to say something, when Margaret walked through the door “Wayne”

“Hey” Wayne looked at his feet awkwardly and Johnny felt a stab of sympathy. It had been four months since the divorce, and the relationship between Wayne and Margaret hadn’t gotten any less awkward. Wayne turned his attention to Johnny “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, totally fine” Johnny lied. There was a gig tonight and it would do no good if Wayne knew he was injured. “But I should probably go. Thanks for letting me watch the kids”

“It’s no problem, you saved me” Margaret hugged Johnny quickly “Kids do you want to say goodbye to Johnny?”

“Bye uncle Johnny!” The kids raced forward to hug him around the waist and he hugged back best he could without bending over.

He closed the door behind him and immediately collapsed against the wall.

“Johnny you’re an idiot” Wayne said following him outside “You are clearly in pain, why did you agree to watch the kids?”

“I swear I’ll be fine, I can ice it when I get home” Johnny objected “And anyway the kids needed me, I couldn’t leave them alone”

“We have a gig tonight! You barely have enough time to go home!” Wayne exclaimed “Mrs. Walsted next door could’ve watched them!”

“Yeah, but the kids don’t like her” Johnny argued “I swear it’ll be fine”

“Johnny you need to take better care of yourself” Wayne continued “You shouldn’t go to the gig tonight”

“Wayne I know you’re worried, but calm down” Johnny ignored the pain in his back and stood up straight “See totally fine”

Wayne didn’t look convinced, but he dropped the subject “Do you need a ride to the Blue Wisp?”

“Sure” Johnny stretched a little and followed Wayne to his car.

——

Johnny forgot his pain medicine. He had been planning to take it as soon as they finished the gig, but instead he left it on the kitchen table. As soon as he got home he took his pain medicine and laid down on the floor. It would be about an hour before the medicine kicked in, which meant he would probably spend the night on the floor. He considered getting up to get something to eat, but quickly dismissed the thought when he lifted his head and a stabbing pain went through his back.

At least he was able to play the gig successfully, and it wasn’t the worst thing to have to sleep on the floor. If only he hadn’t been so stupid as to leave the couch blanket on top of a counter where he couldn’t reach it.

There was knocking on the door, and to Johnny’s surprise Wayne walked in. “Hey Johnny”

“What are you doing here?” Johnny craned his neck and watched Wayne march into the kitchen.

“I’m here to make you dinner, because your back hurts” Wayne explained. As thought it was normal for him to show up at Johnny’s apartment just to cook.

“What?” Johnny attempted to stand up, but couldn’t even get his shoulders off the ground. He sat in silence and waited for Wayne.

“Okay he’s a glass of water and a sandwich” Wayne put them next to Johnny’s head “Do you want me to help you move to bed or sit up?”

Johnny shook his head. Standing up would hurt and realistically his bed would also hurt “Can you please hand me the couch blanket?”

“Of course” Wayne spread it over Johnny’s feet and waited for him to finish eating. “Do you need anything else?”

Johnny considered the question “No thanks, I’ll be fine”

Wayne looked suspicious “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Go home” Johnny pushed on Wayne’s ankle “I’m not lying this time”

“Fine” Wayne slowly back towards the door “Call me if you need to”

“I will” Johnny promised “Goodnight!”

“Goodnight” Wayne closed and locked the door. And Johnny closed his eyes to go to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Also on tumblr @musicals-muscials
> 
> Kudos and comments make my day!


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